1. Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph. How I Learned To Drive was first premiered in New York in February of 1977. Lil Bit begins the play by addressing the audience as an adult. The plays first scene is on a summer night in Maryland in a parking lot overlooking Agricultural Farms in the suburbs. She tells a story of when she was seventeen in the front seat with her older married uncle. Peck asks to be rewarded for his sobriety in a way that is violating. She allows him to touch her breast before driving home. This opening scene reflects the main conflict between Peck and Lil Bit.
2. What is the intrusion? The intrusion takes place when the diving lessons with Lil Bit and Peck began.
3. What is the unique factor? This is the day the narrator told her story by correlating it to driving lessons. She tells her secret through giving a lesson that was once given by her Uncle Peck. Each specific lesson describes a time in her life that the narrator is about to tell. These lessons essentially take the audience back and forth through her life to make up her entire "secret".
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play? Will Lil Bit learn what Uncle Peck is doing to her is wrong? Will anybody find out about Uncle Peck and Lil Bit? Will Uncle Peck and Lil Bit end up together?
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it. One exposition is the secret known by Lil Bit which she then tells the audience through the sequence of events. Her life turns to crumbles because of her traumatizing childhood. Lil Bit is the only one left with the secret after Peck drinks himself to death because Lil Bit did not want anything to do with him. Another exposition is the insecurity of Lil Bit that is exploited at the dinner table. Her grandfather makes jokes about her breast which Lil Bit is extremly conscious about. At Lil Bit's school, she gets teased by her peers because of how her bodied developed.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be. The most theatrical moment, in my opinion, is when Uncle Peck proposed to Lil Bit on her 18th birthday after showing up to her dorm room unannounced. Throughout the entire story, I believed Lil Bit and Uncle Peck's relationship was platonic only because Lil Bit was unsure if she was ready. This scene indicates, however, Peck wasn't getting intimate with Lil Bit only for sexual acts in the future but because he was truly intrigued by her existence. It was a strong love he felt towards her but Lil Bit didn't look at the adjective as being loving but playful and flirtatious in a way. Lil Bit was blindsided by his request because they were not on the same page pertaining to the means of their relationship.
7. List some of the themes of the play. Adultery Pedofilia Incest Coming of Age Victimization
8. Choose the character of Li'l Bit in the show and articulate what she wants and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants? Lil Bit wants to be appreciated by her peers and doesn't know exactly what love is. She is learning about sex and boys and is in the middle of puberty. She only feels appreciated by her Uncle Peck but knows their relationship is wrong. Her emotions become confused and her understanding is seldom which doesn't allow her to fully understand everything she is experiencing.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play. The car- In learning how to drive she references the car to correlate how and where each scene is located within the narrative The Photoshoot- This is when Lil Bit finally felt confident in her own skin because of Peck's appreciation towards her body
10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play. The family relationships are quite disturbing and sad. First, there's the relationship with Lil Bit and Peck, which in Peck's eyes is not considered incest or wrong. Peck is intimate with Lil Bit in a slightly sexual and extremely emotional way. However, Peck is her uncle and is considered family. Lil Bit, not being able to comprehend what is truly taking place, plays into Peck's game but in the end turns toxic and causes each person's life to turn to shambles. The relationship between Lil Bit and her grandfather is troubling because her grandfather is not interested in Lil Bit's dream to become educated and successful. Another aspect of her family values that is troubling is the way they make nicknames for each other. Each person gets a nickname that correlates to their genitalia. Lil Bit doesn't really have a healthy relationship with any of her family members which is one reason why her life turned sour.
How I Learned To Drive was first premiered in New York in February of 1977. Lil Bit begins the play by addressing the audience as an adult. The plays first scene is on a summer night in Maryland in a parking lot overlooking Agricultural Farms in the suburbs. She tells a story of when she was seventeen in the front seat with her older married uncle. Peck asks to be rewarded for his sobriety in a way that is violating. She allows him to touch her breast before driving home. This opening scene reflects the main conflict between Peck and Lil Bit.
2. What is the intrusion?
The intrusion takes place when the diving lessons with Lil Bit and Peck began.
3. What is the unique factor?
This is the day the narrator told her story by correlating it to driving lessons. She tells her secret through giving a lesson that was once given by her Uncle Peck. Each specific lesson describes a time in her life that the narrator is about to tell. These lessons essentially take the audience back and forth through her life to make up her entire "secret".
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
Will Lil Bit learn what Uncle Peck is doing to her is wrong?
Will anybody find out about Uncle Peck and Lil Bit?
Will Uncle Peck and Lil Bit end up together?
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
One exposition is the secret known by Lil Bit which she then tells the audience through the sequence of events. Her life turns to crumbles because of her traumatizing childhood. Lil Bit is the only one left with the secret after Peck drinks himself to death because Lil Bit did not want anything to do with him. Another exposition is the insecurity of Lil Bit that is exploited at the dinner table. Her grandfather makes jokes about her breast which Lil Bit is extremly conscious about. At Lil Bit's school, she gets teased by her peers because of how her bodied developed.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
The most theatrical moment, in my opinion, is when Uncle Peck proposed to Lil Bit on her 18th birthday after showing up to her dorm room unannounced. Throughout the entire story, I believed Lil Bit and Uncle Peck's relationship was platonic only because Lil Bit was unsure if she was ready. This scene indicates, however, Peck wasn't getting intimate with Lil Bit only for sexual acts in the future but because he was truly intrigued by her existence. It was a strong love he felt towards her but Lil Bit didn't look at the adjective as being loving but playful and flirtatious in a way. Lil Bit was blindsided by his request because they were not on the same page pertaining to the means of their relationship.
7. List some of the themes of the play.
Adultery
Pedofilia
Incest
Coming of Age
Victimization
8. Choose the character of Li'l Bit in the show and articulate what she wants and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants?
Lil Bit wants to be appreciated by her peers and doesn't know exactly what love is. She is learning about sex and boys and is in the middle of puberty. She only feels appreciated by her Uncle Peck but knows their relationship is wrong. Her emotions become confused and her understanding is seldom which doesn't allow her to fully understand everything she is experiencing.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
The car- In learning how to drive she references the car to correlate how and where each scene is located within the narrative
The Photoshoot- This is when Lil Bit finally felt confident in her own skin because of Peck's appreciation towards her body
10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
The family relationships are quite disturbing and sad. First, there's the relationship with Lil Bit and Peck, which in Peck's eyes is not considered incest or wrong. Peck is intimate with Lil Bit in a slightly sexual and extremely emotional way. However, Peck is her uncle and is considered family. Lil Bit, not being able to comprehend what is truly taking place, plays into Peck's game but in the end turns toxic and causes each person's life to turn to shambles. The relationship between Lil Bit and her grandfather is troubling because her grandfather is not interested in Lil Bit's dream to become educated and successful. Another aspect of her family values that is troubling is the way they make nicknames for each other. Each person gets a nickname that correlates to their genitalia. Lil Bit doesn't really have a healthy relationship with any of her family members which is one reason why her life turned sour.